Thursday, April 16, 2009

Government grants Indulgences over Easter.

Let’s get things straight for starters peoples, Jesus resurrection did not happen over Easter, so the dates we currently observe, have as much validity as say picking the Northern Winter Solstice for his birthday.

Oh shit, that’s right, that’s what happens already, sorry.

To most Kiwis, Easter is a weekend off, a time to over-indulge in the consumption chocolate, relax.

For decades the religious-relevance of Easter has faded, and with it have come calls for regulations to stop retailers opening en masse on Friday and Monday.

Currently it’s only the likes of the neighbourhood dairies and petrol-stations that have ‘an indulgence’ from The Labour Department, to open on these sacrocede days.

Apparently Christians in New Zealand don’t see any hypocrisy popping into Mr Patel’s shop and grabbing a packed of Rothmans & loaf of bread on Easter Friday and Monday – but are up in arms at the prospect at Mr Patel’s neighbour, the bookshop, opening.

Also against the principal of business’s choosing to make their own decisions as to when they open and close, in harsh economic times like this, are The Unions.

So secularists & business’s face fighting ‘the axis of evil’, Unions and Theists, over the perennial issue of why can’t a Garden shop open, on one of their busiest & most profitable long-weekends of the year? Why can’t the consumer wake-up on Easter Friday and think “I’ll go get those pair of shoes I need”?.

Even though we have a so-called right leaning Government in New Zealand, its unlikely business pressure groups will ‘get much change’ out of the National Party (antipodean political wing of Opus Dei )

My bet is what we will see, are more rebellious retailers, who are prepared to risk facing fines opening on Easter, doing so.

The share number tide of this movement will swamp The Labour Department, to the point their staff can never hope to issue prosecution-notices all ‘law-breakers’, making the exercise one in futility.

Employees, who get time-and-half plus a day-in-lieu to work, will opt to staff the business’s happily and without coercion.

Consumers, can choose to buy the latest Radiohead Album, new pair of jeans or not.

Those that want to go to Church and have a day (historically misplaced, never-the-less) in quiet observance, still have that opportunity.

The weekend will always be ‘Easter’ after-all.


1 comment:

TJH said...

Hey There:

This is off topic, but Ray Comfort finally answered my question about the "very successful" business he had before he became a Christian. He says it was called "Leathergear", a surf shop that also sold leather jackets that Ray made by hand. He wrote that "you won't find anything online because it was between 1970 and 1980". I was wondering if you could check this out whenever you have time. Thanks. Rufus